Captain Swan
by Nicole Elisabeth Harding
Summary: Some fan fiction for those of us who really really want Emma and Hook to progress in their relationship. I would love to hear what you all think of it. Disclaimer: I do not own any of the OUAT characters.
1. Chapter 1

I flinched as they lifted the stretcher up and slid it into the back of the ambulance; the movement jostling my aching body. Through my blurry vision I could vaguely make out the faces of my worried parents, Henry, and Hook right before the medic climbed into the ambulance and shut the doors.

"Wait," I muttered weakly. "My family."

"Don't worry, Emma, they'll meet us at the hospital," the medic assured me.

I didn't know if he knew me or if my name had just been shared by my anxious parents, but somehow his use of my name comforted me. I didn't feel like just a patient like every other that was loaded into an ambulance, I felt like I was being taken care of.

"What's your pain level at?" he asked.

"Maybe an 8," I whispered, being generous.

Really my entire body felt like it was on fire and I was fighting back the urge to scream and writhe in pain. I didn't even know what parts of me were injured, just that they hurt like heck. I could hear the wail of the ambulance sirens.

"What's wrong with me?" I asked. "Am I going to die?"

"We'll know more when we get to the hospital."

I was having trouble keeping my eyes open. And my chest felt like there was a huge weight on top of it, making breathing in and out a chore.

Vaguely, I was aware of the medic pounding on the glass window to the cab of the ambulance and yelling.

"Patient losing consciousness. Step on it!"

An oxygen mask was pulled over my head in an attempt to improve my breathing but it accomplished little. The ambulance pulled into the hospital lot and parked with a jolt. The doors opened to reveal the dark night outside. My vision was starting to fade as I was rushed towards the hospital. Someone gripped my hand as they ran alongside the rolling bed.

"Emma, I'm right here!"

The deep voice reached my ears and I was overwhelmed at the warm feeling of comfort that washed over me right as I slipped into unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

The same fingers were intertwined with mine when I woke up. The harsh lighting of my hospital room caused me to blink rapidly. Hook sat in a chair beside my bed, his hand holding mine tightly, but he was fast asleep. His head laid on my bed right next to my shoulder. I didn't have the heart to wake him up by moving.

"How are you feeling, Mom?" Henry's voice sounded softly from the doorway.

I looked up and smiled reassuringly at him.

"I've been better, but I'm still breathing," I answered quietly.

"You've been out for a couple days," Henry explained. "We were starting to worry."

"Yeah, I'll bet you were, kid," I laughed. "You'd probably love it if you got to live with Regina permanently."

"Don't even joke about that," he scoffed. "I love both of you, I couldn't lose either one of you."

"I know," I said. "I'm sorry I worried you."

He crossed the room to my unoccupied bedside and gave me a gentle hug. Even the light squeeze my ribs hurt, but I tried not to let it show.

The shifting of the bed caused Hook to rouse from his sleep and stare at us with a blank gaze. After a few seconds he registered the sight in front of him and his eyes lit up. No matter how cliché it sounds, there was a sparkle in those deep blue eyes.

"Swan," he acknowledged.

"Hook," I teasingly replied.

We both glanced at Henry.

"Come on guys, I'm not a little kid anymore!" he protested. "I'm not going to freak out about cooties if you two kiss or whatever."

Hook shrugged and leaned in, putting a gentle hand to my head. In consideration of Henry, he kept the kiss light and sweet.

"Didn't waste any time, did you, Jones?" David arrived in the doorway.

"We've discussed this before, Charming," Hook replied. "My intentions for your daughter are strictly honorable and my feelings are thoroughly reciprocated. Aren't they, love?"

"David, it's about time you stopped harassing him," Mary Margaret said lovingly. "He's not exactly the bloodthirsty pirate he used to be."

"That's a conversation to be continued at a different time," David answered shortly. "How are you doing, Emma?"

"Great!" I said enthusiastically.

In reality, I was feeling like I'd been run over by a semi-truck and then fallen off the empire state building. I wasn't about to tell them that though. They were worried enough as it was.

"Doctor Whale said we can take you home as long as we promise to keep you from overdoing it. You've had a rough week, lass," Hook told me.

"Your mother and I have agreed to let him stay with us until you're feeling better, just as an extra person to gang up against you if you try to run around doing things before you're well," David said.

"Lovely," I muttered.

"We just want you to recover as quickly as possible," Mary Margaret assured me.

"I'm here for you too, Mom," Henry put in. "Regina said I should stay by your side for a while anyway."

"Wow, Regina's in on it too?" I asked with a laugh. "How can I argue with the former Evil Queen?"

"Exactly," Henry beamed.

"Are you feeling up to going home today, Swan?" Hook asked. "We don't have to rush into it, but you'd probably be more comfortable at home in your own bed."

"I agree most strongly," I jumped in.

I started pushing myself into a sitting position and grimaced. It was harder than I thought. Hook squeezed my hand comfortingly.

"Take it easy, love."

"You need a wheelchair," Mary Margaret declared and left.

"I do not!" I protested, but she was already gone.

"No arguments, remember?" Hook winked.

"I'm hating this already," I breathed.

Mary Margaret soon returned with Doctor Whale in tow and a wheelchair. He proceeded to give me a check-up.

"I cannot stress this enough, Emma," he said. "You need to take it easy. You have two broken ribs, one of which punctured your lung. And you had a minor concussion."

"I'll be careful," I promised.

"See that you are," he threatened.

I pushed off my pillows and slowly moved my legs off the bed. Hook pulled a robe from the chair and placed it around my shoulders. David stepped forward and stood on my left side as I attempted to get from the bed to the waiting wheelchair. One step and I doubled over in intense pain as my ribs screamed their protest.

Hook caught me before I could fall to the floor.

"Put your arm around my neck, Emma," he said gently.

I shakily did as he asked and he easily picked me up off the floor, one arm behind my back and one underneath my legs. The small effort I had exerted left me exhausted and I let my head fall onto his shoulder.

"I think this will work best for the time being," Hook addressed the rest of the room. "If you'll lead the way to your car."

I was too exhausted to see how anyone reacted. All I knew was that Hook carried me very carefully from the room and down the hallway with minimal bouncing and jostling. I vaguely noticed that for once he wasn't wearing his long black leather jacket. In my dazed state, I couldn't decide whether I liked it or not.

"Killian?" I said.

If he was surprised by my use of his given name, he didn't show it.

"Yes, Emma?"

"Thank you. For everything."

My words were barely audible. I couldn't even seem to find energy to speak. But my face was close to his ear so he was able to hear me.

"I take care of the things I love."


	3. Chapter 3

"What was that?"

It was all I could do not to jump from my bed and go running for the window. There was a deafening roar coming from outside.

"Just the snow moving machine, Swan. It snowed last night," Hook said calmly.

I started sitting up to go look.

"Make one more move and you will not like the consequences," he threatened.

"I'm fine," I protested.

My breathy voice and pained expression must have contradicted my words though. Hook was on babysitting duty while my parents were shopping with Henry. It had only been a couple of days since I'd been released from the hospital and already I was going crazy from being cooped up in the house all the time.

"You gave us quite a scare the other day, Swan. Almost getting yourself killed," Hook said sternly. "Now you have to take it easy."

"What happened to the roguish pirate who steals kisses and refused to give up when trying to win my affection?" I demanded. "You're not acting at all like yourself."

"Sorry, love, but one of us has to be responsible," he said with a wink.

"I'm sorry," I said softly. "For almost getting killed."

"You've changed too, Swan," Hook said. "You used to be a lot more tough as nails and confrontational."

"I was not!" I protested.

He raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Maybe near death experiences change me," I muttered.

"Maybe we're better off this way," Hook said. "For better or worse though, I'm never leaving your side, lass."

"For once, I don't want you to," I smiled.

"Eww sappy," Henry grinned from where he'd just entered.

"I thought cooties didn't bother you, mate?" Hook laughed.

"I'm just giving you a hard time," Henry laughed. "You'd better stop that before David gets back though. He still doesn't like the idea of the two of you being together."

"Yes, we're all well aware of Prince Charming's opinion of your mother and me," Hook grimaced.

"For the record, I like the two of you being together," Henry whispered conspiratorially.

It meant a lot to me that my son and Killian Jones got along. I'd thought for a while now that Hook would be a hilarious father. Henry also had a respect for him that made him value Hook's advice. No matter what my father thought of my (for lack of a better term) boyfriend, Henry's opinion could've been a deal breaker.

Hook put his arm around me and kissed me gently on the forehead before getting up to go help Mary Margaret and David with the groceries. Henry replaced him at my side.

"Mom, how are things going between you and Killian?"

"I don't know. What do you mean by that?" I stammered.

"I mean, is it going anywhere?" Henry said bluntly. "Because do you think he'd let me be his best man at the wedding?"

I froze.

"Henry, marriage is a very big commitment for anyone," I forced myself to say. "Who can say if it'll happen? But I'm sure if Killian ever gets married that he'll be delighted to have you as a best man."

"It would be awesome to have a dad again."

As I sat, speechless, Henry got up and left the room. I'd had enough rocky relationships in the past to be very wary of commitment and of having my heart broken. For heaven's sake, it had taken Hook forever to wear down my defenses to get to the point we were at. It would destroy me if he ever betrayed me like Neal did. I didn't want to lose him. But I also wasn't sure if I would ever be ready for the natural next step that inevitably had to come at some point in a relationship.

Hook reentered the room with a bowl of noodles topped with cheese; his favorite food ever. He handed me the bowl and sat next to me on the bed.

"I'm surprised it's not soup," I teased. "You seem to like the whole spoon feeding thing."

"Any man likes to feel depended upon," Hook replied with a wink.

"Well thank you for being dependable," I said, leaning over and kissing him.

I could tell he was pleased by the gesture. Considering how I went back and forth so much about wanting him near and pushing him away, I was surprised he stuck around. But as he always said, the things that are treasured are worth fighting for.

I started eating to avoid an impending lecture on my eating habits. Both of my parents and Hook all disapproved of how little I'd been eating lately. This led to never ending efforts to tempt me into stuffing my face.

What I didn't expect was for David to come rushing into the room.

"We've got an emergency at the ice wall! We've got to go now!"

"What about Emma?" Hook asked, jumping to his feet.

"Henry can keep an eye on her. Let's go!"

"But I can help!" I protested.

"No, you can't. Not in your condition. You can barely stand," David said firmly.

"We'll be careful, love," Hook assured me. "Stay here and be safe."

"You know I hate it when people tell me to stay behind!" I yelled.

But they had already disappeared out the door. I punched the bed in frustration. I heard the front door slam and pushed off the covers. Getting out of bed wasn't nearly as painful as it had been at the hospital. My legs felt weak from disuse but the pain in my ribs didn't keep me from walking.

Henry appeared in the doorway.

"Mom, Regina needs me to come over. Will you be okay on your own? What are you doing out of bed?"

"Just going to the bathroom," I lied. "And go ahead, you'll be bored here with me so go spend some time with Regina."

Usually Henry was more suspicious then he was right then. I wondered what he was distracted by. He just waved good-bye and dashed out the door.

I moved slowly towards my dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. It took a couple minutes to actually get them on. I took breaks to slow my breathing and to lessen the pain. Boots and a jacket came out of my closet. I was relieved to find that my car keys were still in my jacket pocket. Apparently no one had used my car since I drove it last.

Within the next half hour I made it down the stairs and out to my car. I didn't know exactly where I was going, but I figured there were only a couple of spots along the ice wall where they could be.

I steered my yellow bug carefully out into the street and headed for one of the roads out of town. As I drove through the center of town, I spotted Elsa on the sidewalk in front of the library. She caught sight on my very noticeable car and waved me down frantically. I pulled up next to her and rolled down my window.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Can this machine take us to the edge of town?" Elsa demanded.

"Sure, get in."

I leaned over and opened the door for her. She hesitantly slid into the car and closed the door.

"Why is it so urgent that you get to the edge of town?" I asked.

"My sister. She left this morning leaving a note. I'm worried something's happened to her."

"She left a note? Doesn't that mean she's okay?"

"No!" Elsa exclaimed. "Anna would never leave unless someone was forcing her to."

We pulled up to the ice wall and found no other cars parked there. They must've gone to another spot along the ice wall. Needless to say, I was immensely relieved that David, Mary Margaret and Hook weren't there to force me back into being an invalid.

I was breathing a little faster than normal as I climbed out of the car and pain shot through my body. Elsa ran towards the towering wall of ice. I didn't know what she was hoping to find.

"There are caves and crevices all throughout it," she called over her shoulder. "Anna was trying to find a way out. She'll be seeing if any of them go all the way through to the other side."

"How do we know which one she took?"

"We don't," Elsa said grimly. "Let's split up and each pick one to search. If she's not inside then we should find some way to mark that they have been searched."

"I have some spray paint in my trunk. We can use that," I offered.

"Whatever you have will work."

I moved to retrieve it and showed Elsa how it worked so she could use it as well. We each picked a cavern and glanced at each other before walking inside.

The ice made walking very treacherous. I almost wished I had asked Elsa to form a coat of snow over it to make the search easier, but it was too late now. As I moved slowly forward, I searched for any signs of Anna. Being in an ice cave reminded me of my close call with Elsa when we'd first met. I shivered at the thought and because it was ice cold. I should've worn something warmer.

"Anna!" I called out.

I wasn't expecting a reply, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to try. My voice echoed a few times but there was no answer. I hoped she wasn't hurt.

Something on the wall distracted me momentarily. As I moved closer to look at it, I forgot to be careful walking. My foot slipped out from under me and I fell to the floor, hitting my head hard enough that everything went dark.


	4. Chapter 4

What was that annoying song playing over and over? I blinked open my eyes and groaned. Everything hurt and my appendages were frozen stiff. I glanced around for the source of the noise before realizing it was my phone. My fingers were too stiff to answer it. I could barely move at all. I tried to roll onto my side and nearly started screaming from the pain. I bit my lip, hard, and tasted blood.

Somehow my phone had slipped from my pocket during the fall and was laying on the ice near my shoulder. It started ringing again. It was David. How long had I been out? There were probably panicking if they'd discovered I was missing. Faintly, I could hear my name being called in the distance.

"Emma! Emma, where are you?"

I couldn't raise my voice above a whisper.

This being the second time I was coming close to freezing to death, I was really starting to hate the cold. No offense to Elsa.

I balled my fist, trying to get the blood flowing again. My phone was almost incessantly ringing. I managed to push my arms underneath me and raise myself into a sitting position. The pain was unbearable. I leaned against the wall in an attempt to get some reprieve. With fumbling fingers, I managed to press the answer button on my phone.

"David?"

"Swan? Thank goodness!" It was Hook.

"I need help."

"Where are you?"

"The ice wall."

"Oh dear, love, this is becoming quite a habit," Hook replied. "We figured you were there, or that Elsa had stolen your car. Robin found it parked by the wall and called it in. Soon after, Elsa came running out and said you were missing, along with her sister."

"I fell and hit my head, and now I can hardly move two inches," I breathed.

"We're on our way. We'll find you. Don't worry."

"It's so cccold, Killian."

"Just hold on, Emma," he said.

"I'm ssso tired."

"Don't go to sleep, love. Keep talking to me." His voice was growing more urgent.

"I dddon't have anything ttto sssay."

"Start with telling me why you left home when you're supposed to be recovering."

"I jjjust wanted ttto help."

"Is that what you call what you're doing right now, Swan?"

He was trying to get a rise out of me. Maybe that was supposed to keep me more awake.

"Ittt's better than sssitting at home dddoing nothing." I tried to sound angry.

"Is it now?"

My eyelids were starting to droop again. I didn't even know it was possible to be this tired.

"Emma?"

"Mmm?"

I laid back down, ignoring the icy sting on my cheek as it touched the ice.

"Emma?" Hook sounded like he was yelling. "Swan?"

And then I was asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

"Emma? Emma, please wake up!"

Someone was crouched over me, gently shaking me. My hands and feet were being rubbed vigorously. It hurt a lot, but they must have thought it was helping enough to continue doing it. My head still felt like it had been split open and I couldn't even describe the pain in my ribs.

"Emma, we're right here," Elsa was saying. "You have to wake up so we can get you out of here."

We? I wondered about that for a moment as I tried to force my eyes open. Elsa's face was a foot from my own and Robin Hood was the one rubbing my frozen hands and feet. Elsa looked immensely relieved to see me waking up. It was even harder to move then before.

"Do you think we can move her?" Elsa asked. "She's freezing to death on this ice."

"Maybe if we each take a side," Robin said. "It's going to be a hard walk on the ice."

"Where's Hook?" I mumbled, only half conscious.

"Don't worry, Emma. We'll get you out of here."

The more I woke up, the more cold I realized I was. I started shivering violently. Robin and Elsa lifted me between them. I was surprised Elsa wasn't tripping on her long gown. It took a while to reach the entrance, but I immediately felt the temperature difference. It wasn't even that warm out in the open air, but it was a whole lot warmer than inside the ice caves.

They set me on my feet once we'd reached the pavement. I was still unsteady, so they continued to support me.

"Well, well, well," someone laughed. "What have we here?"

Robin's eyes fixed on the figure emerging from the woods. I recognized her immediately.

"What are you doing here?" Elsa demanded.

"I have just as much right to be here as you do," the Queen smirked. "And I've caught Miss Emma Swan without her pirate protector and Charming family."

Robin broke away from Elsa and me and dived for his cross bow. The Queen snapped her fingers and his feet were encased in ice, stopping him a couple of feet from his weapon.

"Anyone else want to make a daring move to stop me?" she laughed again. "I thought you would've learned by now that I'm unstoppable."

"No one's completely unstoppable," I spat. "We just haven't found your specific weakness yet."

"And you never will," the Queen smiled. "Because it doesn't exist."

Elsa exchanged a glance with me, her eyes as wide as my own. Her powers were practically useless against the Snow Queen. And I wasn't exactly in superb condition or capable of using my own magic.

"Now, Elsa dear, if you would be so kind as to pass over the 'savior'," the Queen mocked. "I'll let you and the woodsman live."

Elsa clutched me protectively.

"There is no way on heaven or earth that I'm letting you take Emma. She's like a sister to me," Elsa hissed.

"Have it your way then."

"Wait!" I cried. "I'll come with you if you leave them alive."

"No!"

"Emma!"

Robin and Elsa protested at the same time. I separated myself from Elsa and walked slowly towards the Queen. Elsa started after me, but her feet froze to the ground as well. A car was careening down the road towards us, however, it was too late for any rescuing.

"Come, my dear," the Queen took my hand.

The approaching car screeched to a halt and out jumped David and Hook.

"Emma!" David yelled.

They both ran towards me but in a swirl of smoke the Queen transported us.

The Queen threw me to the ground in a drab cell which did nothing to help the sharp pain in my ribs. I lay there in the sparse straw and watched as she smiled wickedly and shut me in. The locked clicked and I was overwhelmed by a feeling of hopelessness. I didn't even know where I was. How was Hook going to find me?

"Hope you'll be comfortable, dear," she called out as she walked away.

I was still shivering as I managed to haul my aching body off the floor and onto the grungy looking cot. A wool blanket was folded and set at the foot of it. I grabbed it and wrapped it around my shoulders, willing the cold to seep out of my bones instead of into.

"What do you even want me for?" I yelled, knowing she probably couldn't hear me.

"She probably doesn't need you, she just needs you to be out of her way."

I jumped in shock. How had I not noticed that there was someone occupying the cell next to mine?

"Anna?"

"Hello, Emma."


	6. Chapter 6

"There's no way they'll find us here," Anna said. "We just have to wait and hope that the Queen will let us go when she's done with her evil plan."

"And hope that it doesn't destroy everyone in the town?" I added grimly. "I don't want to take that chance, Anna. I can't take that chance."

"Well what can we do?" she asked. "We can't get out. We can't signal anyone. We don't even know where we are!"

"Let's figure it out then," I replied. "But we are not giving up!"

"You have magic don't you?"

"I'm kind of weak right now," I stammered. "I don't think I can."

"Now who's giving up?" Anna challenged.

I lay back on my cot and tried to ignore her sharp words. As much as I didn't want to give up, I couldn't think of any ways of getting out of here. My magic wasn't strong enough to transport people was it? I'd never tried it before.

"Emma, come on," she pleaded. "My sister needs our help. She can't fight the Snow Queen on her own."

"I don't know if it'll work!"

"Just try. No harm can come from trying," Anna said firmly.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Sitting up, I held my hands out and tried to focus. My palms started glowing with bright white light. Anna grabbed the bars of her cell excitedly as she watched.

With a swirl of thick white smoke, Anna and I disappeared from our cells.

And found ourselves on the outskirts of Storybrooke. On the outside of the ice wall.

"No!" I screamed, pounding my fists against the immovable ice.

"What happened?" Anna asked.

"I don't know. I was trying to get us in the center of town."

"It's not your fault, Emma," she said. "Maybe the Queen cast a spell that threw us here when you tried to use magic. I wouldn't put it past her."

"Yeah but if I hadn't tried to use magic, we at least wouldn't be outside the town," I shouted, hitting the wall again.

I was just angry with myself. I should've known. All magic comes with a price.

"We just need to figure out a way to get past this," Anna said with forced cheerfulness.

"If Elsa was with us, she could try to melt it again."

"It's useless to wish for things we don't have," Anna scolded. "What is that noise?"

"What noise?" I asked.

Then I heard it. My phone. I reached into my pocket and pulled it out.

"David?"

"Emma? Where are you? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Well, as fine as can be expected," I amended. "I found Anna."

"Didn't the Snow Queen kidnap you? We've been searching for you everywhere," David said.

"She did kidnap me, but I used magic to escape. Anna was imprisoned too."

"Where are you?"

"That's the bad part," I said slowly. "We're outside of town. We can't get in."

That's when I heard someone yelling my name. It was coming from the other side of the wall.

"I can hear someone searching for us!" I said excitedly.

"We'll figure out a way to get you back," David promised. "I'll call you back."

The ache in my ribs was becoming increasingly painful. I sat down and tried to control my breathing.

"Are you all right?" Anna leaned over me.

"Just an injury from before that hasn't healed entirely," I said. "I'll be fine."

"Emma!"

Whoever was searching was getting closer to where we were.

"I'm here!" I yelled.

"Emma, I can hear you!"

"I'm on the other side of the wall! Anna's here too!"

"How can I get to you?" It sounded like it was Robin.

"I don't know! Is there any way for us to get across?" I was feeling frantic.

Who knew what the Queen was doing while we were otherwise occupied? Anna clutched at my arm, her eyes wide.

"What if he shoots an arrow over the wall with a rope?"

"We might get impaled on the spikes at the top," I said worriedly.

"We'll have to be careful then," she said confidently.

I relayed Anna's idea to Robin. He didn't have any better ideas so he agreed to try it. What I didn't bring up was that there was no way I was going to be able to get over the wall with my ribs in the condition they were in. But at least Anna would be across to help.

Seconds later, Robin's arrow came flying over the wall and lodged itself in a nearby tree. As always, he had impeccable aim. Which was amazing considering he couldn't see where he was aiming.

"You go first," I said to Anna, unfastening the rope.

"Okay," she agreed. "Once we get to the other side we should just be able to slide down like sledding."

I nodded and handed her the sturdy looking rope. If she was nervous, she didn't show it. I watched closely as she fastened the rope around her waist.

"Okay, I'm ready!" she yelled.

There was a jerk on the rope as Robin started pulling. I couldn't tell if he'd fashioned some kind of pulley system or was just good old fashioned pulling, but whatever he was doing was working. Anna helped as much as she could by gripping ice ledges and pulling herself up whenever she could.

I held my breath until she was over the top and out of sight. She seemed to be able to manage without being impaled by the spiky ice. And less than a minute passed before she called out that she'd landed safely.

"I'm sending the rope back over!" Robin yelled.

"No, don't bother!" I called. "I can't make it over!"

"Emma!" Anna cried out. "I wouldn't have left you if I'd known!"

"That's why I didn't mention it!" I explained. "You can go help your sister! Figure out a way to get this wall down!"

"Emma, we can send someone back to help you!" Robin protested.

"No, don't worry about me! Stop the Snow Queen!"

After my words, everything went silent. Robin and Anna were probably trying to devise a plan to get me across. I sank down to the ground and held onto my ribs. It did nothing to stop the pain, but it made me feel comforted.

"Emma, love, are you giving up?"

My head jerked up in surprise. Was I hallucinating now?

"That's entirely unlike you."

"Hook?"

"Yes, Swan. I found a tunnel through," he smirked. "I told you I would take care of you."

"So where were you when the Queen kidnapped me and stuffed me in a cell?" I challenged breathlessly.

"If you had been at home like you were supposed to be, it would've never happened," he countered, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'll give you that one. I'm not feeling up to par at the moment."

"Let's get you home," he said, offering me his hand.

I let him help me up, keeping one arm protectively around my ribs. He put an arm around me and guided me to the tunnel. I felt comforted by his touch.

"I must say, Swan, you've looked better than you do right now," Hook said with a smile.

"Thank you for that," I retorted. "Because I needed to be worried about that right now."

"Just trying to lighten the mood."

My foot slipped on the ice and Hook caught me, bringing me face to face with him. I actually forgot to keep breathing as I stared into his blue eyes. The concern I saw there was overwhelming. He really cared about me. This wasn't a new realization but right now it hit me like a brick.

"You all right there, Emma?" he asked.

I nodded.

"I'm going to pretend you need this to feel better," he said with a wink.

He leaned down, holding my face with his hand, and kissed me.

"I did need that," I assured him.

"I was going to save this for later. Maybe over a romantic dinner with candles, but I just can't wait any longer," Hook said, keeping his eyes fixed on mine.

Despite that lead, I was still speechless when he slid down to one knee, holding my hand in his. He let go, momentarily, to reach into his pocket and pull out a small box.

"Gold, for all his flaws, was very helpful when I came to him with my plan."

He opened the hinged box and held it up to me.

"Emma Swan, I can't lose you again, it would break my heart. So will you please consent to be my wife?"


	7. Chapter 7

I woke up in my bed, in my parents' home. I stretched, wincing at the sharp pain.

"How are you feeling?" Mary Margaret was reading beside my bed.

"I'll recover," I smiled. "Where's everyone?"

"David's out solving some town issues and Henry's with Regina for the day."

"And Hook?"

Mary Margaret smiled. "He's outside. I told him I wanted to talk to you when you woke up so he's giving us some space."

"What do you want to talk about?"

Despite everything we'd been through, I was still a little unsure of how to act around my parents, especially my mother.

"That's some pretty jewelry on your finger," she said casually.

"Killian proposed yesterday," I said with a laugh.

She was so bad at being subtle.

"And you said yes, I take it?"

"Yes."

"Your father isn't very happy. He still thinks Hook is treating you like a conquest."

"I think he's proved himself over and over again. You know me, Mom. I wouldn't make a decision like this unless I was sure."

"I know, Emma. I just worry. You two are from entirely different worlds," she said softly.

Her forehead was creased with concern. I reached out and took her hand.

"We'll make it work. Honestly, it would break my heart if I didn't have him around. I've come to depend on him and trust him so much. And I don't trust people easily."

"Okay," was all she said.

"He's not a bloodthirsty pirate anymore," I said firmly. "He's a good man."

"I'll go tell him that you're awake," Mary Margaret replied.

She stood and left.

"Your parents aren't taking it well," Hook said as he closed the door and sat on the bed beside me.

"I didn't expect them to," I replied. "I just wish they could come up with the real reason instead of worrying about my judgment and your character."

"I hope they'll come around," he said sincerely. "I'm not trying to make you choose between me and them."

"I know you're not. And it's about time that they accepted that I'm an adult and no matter how much they wish they could've raised me, I'm capable of making my own decisions at this point."

"Your mother's right though, Swan. We do come from different worlds."

"We're both learning each other's worlds though," I said.

He entwined his fingers with mine and sighed.

"The question is, lass, can we make a life together here?"

"What other option do we have?" I asked. "It's not like we can go live in the Enchanted Forest or Neverland."

"Neverland wouldn't be so bad now that Peter Pan's been taken care of," Hook grinned.

"You just think you're so funny, don't you?"

"All I'm saying is that there are other places to live besides Storybrooke."

"Are there? We don't have any magic beans left to travel with," I laughed.

"I'm not talking about other worlds, Emma," Hook said patiently. "There are plenty of other cities here."

"You want to live in a city?" I asked, astonished.

Hook laughed. "Yes, I could be happy anywhere as long as you're with me, love."

"You might have to stop wearing that long coat everywhere," I advised.

"Haven't you noticed? I've already stopped wearing it all the time. Pay attention, Swan."

"I can't believe you would be willing to do all that for me," I said.

"Wouldn't you do the same for me?"

"Of course, I guess I just never considered that possibility. Henry would be crushed if we left Storybrooke."

"He could spend time with us and time here with Regina and his grandparents. He'll consider it an adventure."

"Maybe after getting used to the idea. I just can't wrap my head around this idea. Us living is a city like New York or Boston?" I was repeating the words in my head over and over again.

"Calm down, love. You've got time to get used to it too." Hook seemed amused by my surprise.

"I know."

I laid my head on his shoulder and continued thinking.

"Of course, I'd like to get married as soon as possible," Hook added, smirking.

I smacked him lightly in the arm.

"Trust you not to keep this conversation serious."

"You know you love me," he laughed.


	8. Chapter 8

"I thought you decided that this was home! You said we couldn't abandon family!"

Henry ripped his arm from my grasp and ran out the door of Granny's, slamming the door as hard as he could. I started after him, the pain in my ribs still making it hard to walk.

"Henry!" I called after him.

He was already halfway down the street. There was no way I was going to catch up with him.

"What's up with Henry?"

I turned to find Mary Margaret standing, holding a baby carrier with one hand and a bag of groceries with the other. I sighed heavily.

"How's baby Neal?" I asked.

"Nice try, Emma. You're not changing the subject," she said with a smile.

"I just told him that Hook and I might not be settling down in Storybrooke," I reluctantly revealed.

I was preparing myself for an outburst. Mary Margaret just gazed at me evenly.

"Well, if that's what you've decided is best," she said slowly. "You'll have to come visit often."

"That's all?" I questioned. "No 'you're making a mistake, Emma' or 'you're family, Emma, you need to stay with us'?"

"Of course we'll miss you, Emma," she replied quickly. "But you're not a child anymore. Your father and I can't tell you what to do or turn back time. You're capable of making your own decisions. We had a long talk about it last night while you and Hook were talking."

"Have you had lunch yet?" I asked.

"Is that an invitation?" Mary Margaret smiled.

Smiling in reply, I walked into Granny's with her. Ruby walked up to us at the counter and took our order.

"I love Killian, Mom," I said seriously. "But we're not sure that we can make a life here, with all the drama and the past and the constant danger and magic."

"I understand perfectly," she said, looking down at her hands. "Sometimes I wish that David and I could take Neal and go somewhere different. Start over fresh."

"Then why don't you?" I said, suddenly passionate. "Come with us!"

"Very funny," Mary Margaret chuckled. "You do not want your mom and dad tagging along when you're trying to make a new home."

"Well, I'm not saying that we'll all live in the same apartment or house," I said. "But you can live nearby, in the same city. That way you can still be in my life; still be my parents. And I'll be able to get to know my brother."

"I don't know, Emma," she said uncertainly. "It sounds lovely, but we have friends here. We have history."

"Sometimes that's exactly why we need to get away. You're not in the Enchanted Forest anymore, Mom," I replied. "And I don't think you're ever going to make it back, but you don't have to be stuck in Storybrooke for the rest of your lives. No offense to this town, but sometimes it's just too small-town-ish and too caught up in the past."

At that moment, David walked through the door and straight towards us.

"What's this I hear about you leaving, Emma?"

"You talked to Henry."

David nodded. Mary Margaret moved over to make room for him to sit with us. I sighed again and stared at the hot cocoa that Ruby placed in front of me.

"I need a new start," I said, trying to keep it simple. "And so does Hook. I want you and Mom to come with us."

"Leave Storybrooke?"

I nodded, not sure how he was going to react.

"Now that the stuff with Elsa and the Snow Queen is all solved, thanks to you and Hook, isn't it about time that we got settled?" Mary Margaret reached over and took his hand as she spoke. "Somewhere where our baby will be safe and we can be around both of our children."

David looked speechless. Apparently he'd never considered this option before. Mary Margaret and I kept silent, letting him mull it over in his head. Ruby brought out our food. For me; a burger and fries. For Mary Margaret; a grilled cheese sandwich. I didn't even dare touch my food as I waited for David's answer.


	9. Chapter 9

"Hey, kid, I think we need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about. You're abandoning me and our family."

Henry stubbornly refused to look at me. I sat next to him on the edge of the dock. Ever since spending all that time with Hook, the dock had become his new favorite place to come and think.

"Henry, I'm not abandoning anyone," I said.

I tried to put an arm around his shoulders, but he shrugged it off.

"You can come with us. David and Mary Margaret decided that they need a fresh start too."

"I can't leave my other mom," Henry said, matter-of-factly. "Family doesn't leave."

"I don't know how I can explain this better to you, kid." I sighed. "But I can't move on from the past when it's sitting on my shoulder. Here in Storybrooke, it is. I turn around and there are always reminders of Neal, of my mistakes, of danger. Hook feels the same way and he's willing to live somewhere else so that we can have a happy life together."

"Even if it means leaving me behind?"

His question broke my heart.

"I'm sure Regina will let you spend half of your time with us and half with her," I reassured him.

"And what if she doesn't?"

"Then we will figure something out. We haven't figured out all of the details yet, but this is something we need to do."

Henry didn't reply. He gazed out at the bay. I ran my fingers through my hair.

"I thought you wanted a dad."

That got him to look at me.

"I do. But I want our family to live here, where I can have all of you, not just pieces here and there," Henry said heatedly.

"We'll give it six months, lad."

Henry and I both turned to see Hook approaching.

"What?" I demanded.

"Your mother and I will get married and give Storybrooke a shot for six months," Hook elaborated. "If it's not working out then we start over somewhere new. If it does work then we stay here."

Henry's expression brightened a little. I could already see ideas flashing through his head as to how to get us to stay. I glared at Hook. How could he bring Henry's hopes up like that without talking to me first?

Hook seemed unfazed by my anger.

"Do you realize what you're saying, Killian?" I asked fiercely. "You're the one who said we couldn't live here."

"Well I'm willing to give it a trial run for Henry. He's partially right, you know," Hook gazed evenly at me.

"When are you guys getting married?" Henry asked excitedly.

"Saturday."

"What?" I exploded. "Were you even going to talk to me about this first?"

"Why? And give you a chance to talk yourself out of it?" Hook grinned.

"Saturday is tomorrow! There's no way we're going to be able to pull this off!" I retorted.

"Fortunately for you, your mother is very gifted with these kinds of things. She appreciates the challenge," Hook laughed. "Relax, Swan."

But all of this was just too much. I felt like I'd lost control of the situation. It'd been ripped from my hands and was being changed and warped. I started panicking. I wasn't really ready for this, was I?

I jumped to my feet and took off running. Hook tried to grab my arm but he wasn't quick enough. I didn't even know where I was going, but I ran anyway. Spotting my car, I made a beeline for it and dived inside. My hands were shaking so badly that it was hard to turn the key to start the car. I pressed the gas pedal to the floor and didn't let up until I was outside the town boundaries.


	10. Chapter 10

I was running away, just like I always did. Because leaving was better than facing all of the emotions that were bubbling up inside of me. The good and the bad; my mind just didn't think it was worth it. I tried to calm my breathing enough to make sure I was driving safely.

"Come on, Emma. Pull it together."

When talking to myself didn't work, I turned on the radio. Blasting the music loudly didn't quite successfully drown out my thoughts, but it got close enough that I settled. I was still distracted enough that I didn't notice that my car was practically out of gas. When it sputtered to a halt at the side of the road, my heart pounded. I was about a mile from the nearest city. There was no way I was calling my family for help and I didn't have the numbers for any towing companies.

Resigning myself to what I had to do, I slipped on my leather jacket, zipping it up tightly, and stepped out of the car. My boots were exactly good walking shoes, but at least they weren't heels.

My phone started ringing almost constantly. Someone kept trying to call me over and over again. I turned it off eventually, tiring of the constant reminder of what I was leaving behind.

The darkness was falling fast and the stars were out by the time I reached the gas station. I opened the glass door and walked inside. I wasn't quite sure how to go about solving my problem, so I walked up to the desk. A young man stood there, reading a paper. Business must have been going slowly.

"Hey!" I said brightly. "I have a bit of a situation on my hands and I'm hoping you can help me."

He raised his eyes from the paper and they lit up as he spotted me.

"Sure, what can I do for you?"

"My car's out of gas, about a mile down the road…"

"I can fill a can with gas and drive you to your car!" he offered enthusiastically.

I nearly laughed at his exuberance. Without waiting for my reply, he was already running to fetch a can. I waited by the desk until he returned and then he showed me to his pick-up truck. It took us all of five minutes to reach my car, and that was driving slowly.

He poured the gas into my tank and followed me in his truck as I drove to the gas station and filled my car up all the way. Then he smiled widely and waved as I drove away. I was grateful for his help, but I didn't know what he saw in me.

I made it another two miles to a motel before becoming too exhausted to go on. I figured it wouldn't hurt to spend the night and continue on with a clear head in the morning. I literally fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow, too tired to even eat dinner.


	11. Chapter 11

I woke around dawn, the sun streaming through the open curtains. I stretched and rolled onto my back. For one brief instant, I forgot where I was and why. Then everything came crashing down. I turned my phone on, more out of curiosity than the desire to contact anyone.

Five new voicemails.

"Only five?" I muttered.

I didn't feel like listening to them, so I put my phone in my purse and roused myself from bed. I didn't plan ahead enough to bring any clothes with me so I just put on my jacket, promising myself that I would go shopping today sometime.

I walked out to the parking lot, swinging my keys. I stopped dead when I saw who was leaning against my yellow bug waiting for me.

"We need to talk," Regina said, her tone deadly.

"I can't imagine what brought you here," I said casually. "Don't you have a town to run?"

I slid into the front seat of my car and sighed when she sat in the passenger seat. This had to be about Henry. I couldn't even fathom what he must have said to get Regina to come after me.

"What are you doing, Swan?" she asked coolly.

"Going on a trip. What does it look like?" I retorted.

"It looks like you're running away."

"Why would I do that?" I said, trying to play innocent.

"Hmm, I don't know. It could be anything from the fact that you're not getting your fresh start as quickly as you thought, or that the insufferable pirate you call your boyfriend wants to marry you today, or that you feel like you don't have control over your life anymore. You tell me."

"Do me a favor and get out of my car!" I said stonily.

"Are you going to make me?" Regina cocked an eyebrow at me.

I sighed. She knew me too well. I started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Well then, I guess you're coming to Boston with me," I smirked.

"You can't run away from your problems!"

"Watch me!" I retorted.

Regina waved her hand and the steering wheel was ripped out of my hands. It went flying into the backseat. I panicked, stomping on the brake with all my might. The car was completely out of control. I couldn't even tell if Regina had control of the car. There was nothing I could do as my beloved car careened off the road and slammed head-first into a tree.

The impact sent my body slamming forward and my head hit the dashboard with enough force to knock me out.


	12. Chapter 12

"Was it really that easy to run away, Swan?"

From the second my eyes blinked open, I knew I had a lot of damage control to do. Hook was seated by my hospital bed, gazing evenly at me. But I could see the hurt in his eyes. Refusing to look at him or to answer his question, I instead stared blankly at the white wall in front of me. I could feel tears forming in my eyes. This was an uncommon occurrence. I was supposed to be tough as nails. Nothing was supposed to faze me.

"I know you're scared, love, that you feel like you don't have control over your life anymore, but that doesn't mean you need to run away," he said.

Apparently he was going to keep talking if I wouldn't.

"We can work through this. Running away isn't the answer to all of your problems."

My head was pounding. I raised a bandaged hand to my forehead and winced.

"Where's Regina?"

"She's with Henry. She brought you back a couple of hours ago and left you here to be cared for."

I finally turned my head to look at Hook.

"Killian, I.." I started to explain.

He cut me off with a shake of his head.

"If you don't want to be with me, Emma, then just say so next time. It'll keep me from making a fool of myself," he said.

Before I could respond, he stood and walked out of the room. The hunch of his shoulders indicated exactly how defeated he felt. I yanked out my IV and pushed off the covers. I ran after him as fast as I could. I was still a bit disoriented, but I knew I couldn't let him leave.

"Killian!" I called.

He stopped in surprise.

"Emma, get back into your bed. You're not well enough to be running about," he said quickly.

"Not until you listen to me," I said firmly.

I leaned against the wall for support, feeling a little dizzy. He hurried back towards me, catching me as I pitched forward, falling towards the floor. His grip on me was firm as he half led, half carried me back to my hospital room.

"Killian, I do want to be with you. That's not why I was running away," I tried to tell him.

"Just lay down."

"I'm just scared!" I burst out.

He looked at me inquisitively.

"I'm scared," I repeated. "I've never been married before. I have trouble letting people in. And all this was just moving so fast, I couldn't catch my breath."

"Emma, I'm sorry," Hook said.

He pulled the covers back over me and stroked my hair.

"I just don't want to lose you. That's why I was rushing things," he said softly. "And about the boy, I just wanted him to be on board with our decision. It's called a compromise."

"I overreacted," I said quickly. "I don't want to lose you either. And it means the world to me that you and Henry get along so well."

"We don't have to get married until you're ready, Swan," Hook promised.

"No!" I grabbed his hand tightly. "I want to get married right now. You're right. I can't afford to wait any longer because I'll come up with all sorts of excuses and try to talk myself out of it."

Hook effectively silenced anything else I was going to say by kissing me soundly. When we broke apart, he was grinning.

"How fast can you find a priest?" I asked.

"I'll call your parents. They should be able to round one up on their way here," Hook smirked. "You're sure about this, love?"

"The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you, Killian," I said apologetically. "It's not marrying you that I was objecting to."

My parents showed up at the hospital in a record time of five minutes; priest in tow.

"Emma, are you sure about this?" David asked as he leaned over me.

I nodded. "I've never been surer of anything in my life."

Mary Margaret looked like she was about to start crying. I asked Killian and David to help me get out of bed. I wanted to be standing at my wedding.

"Wait, where's Henry?" Hook asked suddenly. "The lad would murder me if he missed this."

As if on cue, the sound of running feet came from the hallway.

"Mom!"

"Henry!" I called back.

He burst into the room, breathing hard. He raced forward and threw his arms around me.

"I'm sorry, Mom!" he exclaimed. "I didn't want you to leave! I promise I'll be happy whatever you decide to do as long as you let me come visit! Just don't leave like that again!"

I squeezed him tightly.

"I promise I'm not going to abandon you."

Hook let us hold each other for a few moments before interrupting.

"Now, Henry, how would you feel about being my best man?" he asked.

Henry stared at him in surprise.

"You're getting married right now?"

I laughed at his expression. "Yeah, kid, and its good you got here in time."

"I can't believe it!" he yelled.

He settled down enough to stand tall at Hook's side. Mary Margaret gave me a long hug before going to stand by the priest. David leaned down and kissed my forehead.

"I don't exactly get to walk you down the aisle, but I'm glad I could be present when you get married," he said in a soft voice.

"Thanks, Dad," I said, feeling myself tear up.

"I think we're ready now," David said, addressing the priest.

"I didn't have much time to prepare for this, so I hope you'll forgive me if I don't give any flowery speeches," the priest said with a smile.

Hook took my arm as we stood waiting.

"Killian Jones, do you take Emma Swan as your lawfully wedded wife? In sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, till death parts you?"

Hook turned to look directly in my eyes as he replied.

"I do."

"And Emma Swan, do you take Killian Jones to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

I felt his hand gripping mine tightly as he waited for my answer.

"I do."

"Do you have any rings?" the priest asked.

Henry jumped forward, eager to do his job. He handed Hook my ring and me, Killian's.

Hook slid the ring on my finger and then we had an awkward moment as I realized that his left hand, the one I would've put the ring on, wasn't there. Hook winked at me before offering his right hand.

"By the power invested in me by church and state, I now pronounce you man and wife."

Hook barely waited for the priest to finish his sentence before spinning me into a dramatic dip and kissing me soundly.

"You may kiss the bride," the priest continued with a chuckle.

I was completely oblivious to everything around us as I decided that I wanted to stay in Killian's arms for the rest of my life.


	13. Chapter 13

Despite the fact that I'd just been married, I was still on bed rest until further notice. Whale refused to let me leave the hospital until I was completely recovered, considering what happened last time he allowed me to recover without his supervision.

"So I guess you two will just have to wait to have your special wedding night," Henry commented, matter-of-factly.

Hook was in the middle of settling me back into my hospital bed. Despite what I liked to call my "real world experience" I found myself blushing furiously about what Henry was talking about.

"Aye, lad, I think so," Hook replied with a smirk in my direction. "Your mother's not quite up to it yet."

"Would you stop talking about this in front of my kid!" I complained.

"Whatever are you talking about, Swan?" Hook said, feigning confusion.

Henry just grinned from ear to ear. For a brief second, I wondered how he knew about this stuff. If Regina had "the talk" with him, I would be forever in her debt. I wasn't looking forward to that part of being a parent.

"I think it's time for you to go home with Regina," I said with a pointed look.

Henry's face fell.

"What? Already?" he asked sadly.

"Come on, Swan, the boy just got here," Hook argued teasingly.

"Tread carefully, Jones," I warned, fighting back a smile. "We may be married, but I still have first say in Henry's life."

"Actually, I believe that responsibility falls on me."

Regina stood in the doorway with a smirk.

"We are in your debt, your majesty, for resolving our first marital dispute," Hook bowed.

I smacked him in the arm and he straightened immediately. Henry reluctantly gathered his things, sensing he couldn't win this battle. He walked over and squeezed Hook and I into a hug which lasted a slightly awkward 30 seconds.

"See you tomorrow, guys!"

"Bye," Hook and I said in unison.

Regina put an arm around Henry and walked him down the hall. When I first arrived in Storybrooke I would never have imagined that this is where our story would take us. Speaking civilly to Regina and sharing Henry? I would've deemed it impossible.

Hook distracted me from my thoughts by leaning down and kissing me lightly.

"Are you ready for some dinner, love?"

"Sounds perfect," I found myself smiling as I spoke the words.

I swear, I've never smiled this much before in my life. My heart pounded as I realized I had almost thrown all of this away because I was scared. I had to remind myself to thank Regina later for all that she had done. She certainly wasn't the Evil Queen anymore.

Hook squeezed my hand as he let go and left to find us something to eat. Personally, I was hoping for something filling and enjoyable, rather than hospital food. But I wasn't expecting what Hook brought back.

"So Granny's caters now?" I laughed.

"A little wedding present from our friends," he winked.

I scooted over on the bed to make room for him to sit beside me. He opened up the cellophane boxes and laid them out in front of us.

"Take your pick, Swan," he offered.

I grabbed a fry and popped it into my mouth, savoring the warmth and the saltiness. Hook laughed at my pleased expression and took a sip from his hot cocoa. Seeing my raised eyebrows, he sighed and passed along the cup. I tasted it and nodded.

"Cinnamon. Something tells me this was meant for me," I said.

"Oh come on," he retorted. "We share everything now."

"Says you," I teased.

I passed him the cup, despite my protests. What a picture we must have made, laughing and eating together. Usually this was when something disastrous happened to the town and we had to rush off to save it. But nothing happened.

Eventually I fell asleep with Killian's arm around me, my head laid on his shoulder.


	14. Chapter 14

I woke to the hospital literally falling down around us. Everything was in flames and the ceiling was falling to the floor in huge chunks. I was lifted off the bed and swung around in one swift motion just as a huge piece landed on the bed where I had been laying.

"What's going on?" I yelled.

Hook forced my arms into my jacket and dragged me towards the door.

"No time to explain!" he said, ducking to avoid a falling wooden beam.

"Are we under attack?" I demanded.

"Did you miss the part where I said there's no time to explain?" Hook shouted over the noise.

"Are we ever going to have a normal life?"

"Not the time, love!"

Hook and I burst out of the doors and were greeted by a sobering sight. David was climbing out of a window, carrying an unconscious patient. Mary Margaret was holding a wailing Neal and trying to help injured people away from the fire.

"I need Regina and Gold!" I yelled above the noise. "Does anyone know where they are?"

When no one immediately offered information, I ran over to my mother.

"What happened?" I demanded, grabbing her arm.

"Magic," she said shortly.

I pulled out my phone and hit speed dial, pushing through the crowd, searching.

"Henry? Where are you?"

"Mom? Are you okay? I can barely hear you."

"Henry, I need Regina at the hospital! Henry?" I glanced at my phone. "Shoot!"

The call had failed. Hook caught up with me and grabbed my arm.

"Swan, are you quite sure you should be running around like this?"

"I need to fix this!" I said, ripping my arm out of his grasp.

I took off running, spotting Gold at the edge of the crowd.

"Gold, I need your help!" I said breathlessly.

"What is going on here?" he asked.

"I don't know, some kind of magic. But there's still people inside!"

Belle squeezed Gold's arm and looked at him with concern. Gold looked back and forth from me to Belle and sighed heavily.

"Trying to turn me into the hero, Miss Swan? I don't appreciate it."

He started following me as I pushed my way back through the crowd.

"Please, people! We need to get through to solve this mess!" I yelled.

Everyone jumped at the harshness of my tone but made no immediate moves to clear out and make room. By the time Gold, Belle and I reached the hospital, someone else had joined us.

"You called, Sheriff?" Regina smirked.

"All rivalries aside, I need you two to get this under control!" I said gesturing wildly at the hospital.

Something about my tone must have convinced them because they nodded to each other and turned to get to work. Belle moved to help Mary Margaret with some of the victims.

"Mom, are you doing okay?" I asked her. "Do you need supplies or anything?"

"Well normally this would be when we would call an ambulance but I'm thinking that's not going to happen at the moment," she said with a humorless smile. "Has anyone seen Dr. Whale or the nurses?"

"That's a good question," I muttered. "Ruby!"

Amazingly enough, the girl emerged from the crowd. She must have heard me with her wolf hearing.

"Can you find Victor? We need some medical help."

She nodded and whirled, disappearing into the crowd. I turned back to the building. Whatever Regina and Gold were doing wasn't having any immediate effect. That's when I remembered David.

"Where's David?" I called.

Mary Margaret's head jerked up, her eyes wide with panic.

"He was rescuing patients stuck inside!"

"I thought he was out already!" I said frantically.

"He went back in!"

I made a dash for the window I had seen him by last. The smoke was thick and choking, pouring out of it. I started to boost myself up onto the sill but then Hook grabbed my arm again.

"You're needed out here, Swan. I'll go."

I opened my mouth to argue vehemently, but he just kissed me hard. Then before I could stop him, he vaulted through the window and into the building, disappearing from sight.

"Be careful," I started to say, the words dying on my lips.


	15. Chapter 15

"Mom, what's going on?"

I turned as Henry pushed out of the crowd and ran towards me.

"Where's Killian?" he asked before I could answer his first question.

"We're trying to get it under control, kid," I said, choking on the words. "I need you to stand back. Go see if Mary Margaret needs any help."

I gave him a tight hug before pushing him in that direction.

"Well it's certainly not my fault that it's not working!" Regina spat.

I turned to find them in an argument.

"Magic never works if there's a weak link," Gold hissed. "And I'm certainly not weak!"

"Whoa there both of you!" I yelled, running over to them. "We don't have time to be arguing over this!"

Before either of them could reply, the ground underneath our feet froze, expanding until it reached the hospital and engulfed it in ice as well. The fire quickly dissipated from lack of heat. I spun around to find Anna and Elsa standing nearby. Elsa had her hands stretched out, controlling the magic.

"Elsa," I said, unable to form the words to thank her properly.

She seemed to sense what I was trying to say and nodded with a small smile. She linked arms with her sister and moved quickly off before the crowd could overwhelm them. Turning, I noticed movement by the window.

"Killian! David!" I called out.

Mary Margaret rushed for the window at the same time. Hook helped a nearly unconscious David through the window into her waiting arms. Belle hurried forward to help her support David between the two of them. Hook managed to get himself through the window. I threw my arms around him and held him so tightly he probably had trouble breathing.

"Calm down, love, I'm not dying," he chuckled.

"I'm so glad you're safe," I murmured.

"Your lad looks quite panicked as well," Hook observed.

I turned my head ever so slightly and saw Henry running towards us. He crashed into us, hugging the two of us tightly.

"We're okay," I said, mostly for my benefit. "We're going to be okay."

Hook kissed the top of my head and squeezed Henry and I closer. There must have been members of the crowd wondering if the hospital fire had really been traumatic enough to lead to this display of affection. David and Mary Margaret joined us.

"Are you all right, Dad?" I asked.

"If you're asking whether I'm up to a group hug then the answer is yes," David smiled.

We gladly welcomed them into the circle.

"I hate to break up this lovely gathering, but we need some crowd control, Sheriff," Regina said firmly. "And we have people who need medical attention."

Our family reluctantly broke up and came back to the situation at hand. Just thinking about us as a family made me feel warm and tingly inside. I wondered how Hook felt about it.

"Thank you for that reality check, Regina," I said sarcastically.

Ruby came running with Doctor Whale in tow. He had a gash on his forehead that was trickling blood and he looked daze.

"What happened?" I asked. "Wait, never mind, can you help these people?"

Victor nodded and without another word moved to the victims.

"Mom, can you and Belle keep assisting him until we find some nurses?" I turned to her.

"Of course," she said. "Henry, can you watch Neal so I have two free hands?"

Henry accepted the bundled baby.

"Henry, I need to you to take Neal away from all of this craziness. Go wait at David and Mary Margaret's until we come for you," I ordered.

"But, Mom, I can help!" he protested.

"You'll be helping by doing this," I said firmly.

He looked a little crestfallen but walked away without further argument.

"Killian, can you make sure he gets home safely and then come back and help?" I asked.

Hook nodded. "I'll be back as soon as possible, Swan."

"What do you want me to do, Emma?" David asked.

"Can you keep an eye on those two?" I said gesturing to Gold and Regina. "Make sure they don't get into any fist fights. That is the last thing we need right now."

"Roger that," David grinned.

He coughed breathlessly a couple of times as he walked away. I watched him with concern for a few seconds. I'd have to make sure Doctor Whale took a look at him later.

Now it was time to address the panicked crowd who kept pushing forward.

"All of you, listen up!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

Surprisingly, it became significantly less noisy.

"If you are not helping give medical attention to any of the victims then you are to return to your homes!"

There was an awful lot of grumbling after my statement.

"Any of you who disobey this order will be arrested for impeding law enforcement officers!"

That seemed to get their attention and slowly they began to leave and walk back to their homes. I didn't blame them for the curiosity. Not much escaped notice in a small town. But I didn't need them hanging around making it hard to start assessing the damage to buildings and people.

I joined David over by Regina and Gold.

"Please give me something useful!" I practically begged. "Do you know who or what caused this? And why?"

"Obviously this was the work of a magician," Gold sighed.

"Yes, I know," I rolled my eyes. "Wasn't it you who said that each person has a magic signature that can be identified?"

"Yes, Miss Swan, it's nice to know you actually listen when I talk," Gold smirked. "Unfortunately, it will take some time to identify whoever did this."

"All right, I can work with that," I said slowly. "Now why weren't the two of you able to put it out? I don't buy the whole 'weak link' theory."

"Maybe the answer to that will be revealed when we know more about the enchanter," Regina said with a bored expression.

"Fine then," I retorted. "Now clean this up!"

"You don't order us around, Swan!" Regina snapped.

"Oh don't I? Last I checked, I was still sheriff," I raised an eyebrow, challenging her.

"Fine. But this is the last time I clean up your messes for you."

As David and I turned away from the two most powerful people in town, he gave me a discreet high five. I had to stop myself from grinning from ear to ear.


	16. Chapter 16

I found that I was nervous as I stood outside Hook's room at Granny's. I hadn't been to his living quarters very often since we'd all found ourselves back in Storybrooke. I knocked lightly and shoved my hands in my pockets as I waited for him to answer the door.

"Swan, what a surprise," he smirked. "Did you and Charming discover anything about the nature of the attacks on the hospital?"

"No, I just came to tell you that we're calling it a day. We'll do more investigating tomorrow and I would appreciate it if you could help," I shared.

"Of course, love. Anything you need."

"Okay, well I need to go check on Mary Margaret and Henry and make sure everything's all right," I said, backing away.

"Hang on, Emma," Hook said, grabbing my arm. "Have you eaten yet?"

I shook my head. Food had been the last thing on my mind for the past few hours.

"I have pizza," he offered. "Surely, you can check on your mother and Henry by phone? You deserve to relax for a bit."

I opened my mouth to refuse but then I saw the pathetic look on his face and found myself agreeing instead. Hook pulled me into the room and shut the door. He settled me on the couch before grabbing the box of pizza from the counter. He must have ordered in. And it was still warm too.

I could barely disguise my pleasure at this treat for dinner. I had been planning on eating some soup at my parents before crashing into bed. I sent a quick text to Mary Margaret and Henry.

"Would you care to watch a movie, love?" Hook asked with a grin.

"Look at you," I laughed. "Organizing a regular old date night."

"I'll try to liven things up a bit then," he said with a smirk. "Rum?"

"Umm no thanks," I laughed. "Nice try though."

"It was worth a try," Hook winked. "There's quite a few good movies on TV."

"You've been using the TV?" I asked in disbelief. "Good for you."

"I figured since we're stuck in this world I might as well adapt."

I watched as he deftly pulled out the remote and turned on the TV, finding the right channel. He then settled down next to me on the couch and put his arm around me. As interesting as I found the movie he had picked; Captain America, I soon found that my eyelids were dropping closed. Hook shifted slightly to allow me to snuggle closer and lay my head against his chest. His even breathing lulled me to sleep in his arms.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: Apparently my story wasn't as disliked as I thought… And just for the 9 of you that reviewed in the past couple of days, I've decided to continue the story. Thanks for the encouragement. **

"Hey, kid!" I said, waving Henry over. "You're just in time for lunch."

Henry eagerly walked over and slid into the side of the booth across from me and Hook. He just sat there grinning at the two of us. I waved my hand in front of his face.

"You all right there?" I teased.

"Yeah, I'm just enjoying the view!" he beamed. "This is what it's like to have a family."

My eyes unexpectedly teared up at his words. Hook gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. Ruby was waved over and Henry placed his usual order of grilled cheese. I started eating my burger and fries again.

Henry tossed his backpack onto the floor and a brochure slid out. I leaned down to pick it up. It was a brochure for Disneyland.

"Why do you have this?" I asked in confusion.

Honestly, I'd never considered that he wanted to go visit places like Disneyland. Wasn't his life one big fairytale of its own? Hook took the paper from my hands and looked at it in confusion.

"Swan, what's this for?"

"It's an amusement park," I explained. "Disney makes movies, like the Peter Pan one that we watched."

"I want to go," Henry burst out. "I've never been anywhere except the East Coast. I want to go on an adventure."

"Kid," I started to say.

"I think it's a great idea," Hook interrupted.

"What?" Henry and I spoke in unison.

Hook grinned at our expressions.

"I said, I think it's a great idea," he repeated. "Sounds like fun."

"There's no way that Regina is going to allow that," I stammered. "Not to mention all the responsibilities we have here. And besides, you hated that movie! Shouldn't you be plotting an assassination or something?"

"Don't be silly, love," he smirked. "The makers of Peter Pan aren't in the business anymore. They're likely dead at this point. Not everyone ages as gracefully as I do."

I tried to remember what year the movie had been made in. Maybe he was right. Either way, I was still shocked that he actually wanted to go to Disneyland. I mean, it was intended for kids. Admittedly, I had never been but that was their main audience.

"So why don't we invite Mom and Robin along?" Henry posed an answer to my question.

Obviously his initial shock at Hook's words had faded and he was using an adult on his side to his advantage.

"I'm sure Roland would love to go," Hook added quickly.

"What about my parents?" I demanded. "We can't just up and leave. And I'm the sheriff!"

"David and Mary Margaret can come along as well," Hook said evenly. "I'm sure they would love the vacation. And as for your sheriff duties, I'm sure that someone in the town will be willing to take over for you for a week or two. After all, you have gone above and beyond the call of duty for this town."

I glanced back and forth between him and Henry, still trying to process what this would actually mean.

"But I –"

"Come on, Mom," Henry pleaded.

Ruby appeared with his lunch.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," Ruby said. "And I agree with Hook and Henry. You deserve a break."

I tossed a twenty dollar bill on the table and grabbed my purse. My mind was wild with thoughts as I stood and left Granny's diner. I almost plowed right into Regina and her new little family as they walked up the sidewalk to get lunch.

"Miss Swan, would you kindly watch where you are going!" Regina snapped, pulling Roland out of the way.

"I'm sorry," I muttered before continuing on my dazed walk.

Disneyland? After everything we'd been through, the kid wanted to go to Disneyland. I had been expecting him wanting to create a portal and visit the Enchanted Forest, not something as absolutely regular as a visit to Disneyland.

My feet automatically carried me to the docks, heaven knows why. I sat on a bench at the edge of the pier and gazed out into the bay.

It wasn't that I had a problem with taking him to Disneyland. Besides my earlier stated worries, I would actually enjoy a vacation. It was just that a trip to California with my husband and son would be so… normal. I was used to fighting monsters and using magic not living a normal life. Sure I had lived with Henry in a city for that forgotten year, but all the memories I had at the time had been fake. If I was to go back to that life now, with all of my memories of magic and fairytale characters intact, I would probably go crazy. No matter how much I wanted that life, I still had doubts that I could live in it.

"Talk to me, Swan."

He sat next to me on the bench.

I let out a strangled laugh. Having just went over all of my thoughts, I didn't really feel like repeating them.

"You really want to go to Disneyland?" I asked.

"The lad seems to want it and I see no harm in a family vacation," Hook replied.

He put an arm around my shoulders and I leaned into him.

"Family," I sighed. "It feels so good to hear that word and actually know what it means."

"Love, I think it's a good idea to take a break," he said softly. "And I'm sure things will all work out for us to be able to go. Trust me."

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

_David: We just talked to Henry. We ARE going. Even if we have to kidnap you and drag you there. Emma, you deserve this._

I laughed half-heartedly and handed my phone to Hook. He smirked.

"It's nice to have someone on my side," he said. "Kidnapping someone is slightly harder when you're on your own."

"You wouldn't have the guts to dare doing that, pirate," I teased.

"Oh, I wouldn't?" he raised an eyebrow.

Before I could move from my seat, he grabbed me around the waist and hoisted me over his shoulder. I kicked and squealed as much as I dared. I really did not want to get dropped on my head.

"Where are you taking me?" I gasped.

"I'm teaching you a lesson," he said sternly.

I froze as I noted the direction in which he was walking.

"Killian, no!"

I started struggling for real this time. He kept a firm grip on me, undeterred by my hitting and kicking. I finally managed to land a solid kick and he released me. I fell right into the water that he had been about to drop me in anyway.

I resurfaced within seconds of hitting the water, gasping from the frigid temperature.

"You!" I hissed breathlessly. "You are dead!"

Hook pretended to be scared by my outrage. I struggled to reach the edge of the dock. My clothes and shoes were weighing me down quite a bit. I pulled myself up onto the dock just as Henry came running.

"Mom, what happened?"

He was trying not to laugh. I glared at him before noticing that Hook was edging towards him.

"Henry, look out!" I yelled.

But it was too late. Hook lifted him like a sack of potatoes and threw him into the water. Henry grabbed at my leg in an attempt to pull himself out of the water and only ended up pulling me back in. I splashed at him in mock fury.

"Where's my phone?" I cried suddenly.

I'd been feeling in my soggy pockets and couldn't find it. Hook held it up for me to see.

"Put it down before it accidentally gets wet!" I demanded.

He grinned and obligingly put it on a nearby bench. David and Mary Margaret were slowly walking down the pier with Baby Neal in his stroller.

"Don't you dare!" I shouted, attempting to get back on the dock.

Lucky for him, David saw Hook coming and could prepare himself for the battle. Unlucky for Hook, David saw him coming. I stifled a laugh as David threw Hook over his shoulder and into the water. Mary Margaret scrambled to get out of the way with the baby.

I crawled back onto land and slid off my sodden coat and boots. It was payback time. I offered Henry a hand to help him out of the water and we stalked down the dock to where Hook was just climbing out.

"Now now," he protested. "It was all in good fun."

"You're right," I laughed. "So you shouldn't mind this."

I walked right up to him and wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him. The salty taste of his lips was enticing. He stiffened at first before relaxing. Then I hooked my leg around his and pushed him backwards into the water.

"Wow, you fight dirty, Mom," Henry laughed.

I didn't even see David coming. I screamed in surprise when I was shoved hard from behind and fell back into the water, right beside Hook.

"Satisfied, love," he asked with a grin.

He pushed my head under water and when I resurfaced, Henry was sent flying into the water.

"Not until we get David," I whispered.

"I believe I can help," Hook winked.

I clambered back onto the dock and found myself face to face with my dad. We both stood on the edge, engaged in a staring contest when someone shoved David from the side and in shock, he fell into the water.

Mary Margaret high-fived me and just laughed as her husband stared up at her in shock. Hook reached over and grabbed David in a head-lock, dunking him a couple of times before releasing him. When Hook tried to climb up to join me, David and Henry pulled at his legs and he fell back in. Everyone was laughing by the time we all climbed out.

"Looks like we all need to dry off and get warmed up," David said with a smile. "Henry, Emma, are you coming?"

I gathered my coat and shoes and started following my son and parents. Hook grabbed my arm and smiled mischievously.

"Swan, I have a shower that works just fine."

"Aren't you going to be using it though?" I asked. "I don't want to have to wait. I'm freezing."

My chattering teeth attested to my words.

"I'm good at sharing," Hook promised with a wink.

My mouth opened and closed a couple of times as I tried to think what to say. Finally, I shrugged.

"Okay, pirate, but you owe me pizza afterwards and some cuddling on the couch," I smiled.

"Now that I can do," he smirked.

He put an arm around my shoulders as we walked back towards his room at Granny's.


	18. Chapter 18

I started picking up the empty pizza boxes strewn all across the room and shoving them in a garbage bag. Hook was still out on the couch, sleeping peacefully, and to his credit not snoring at all. We'd kind of let things slide in his room at Granny's. Almost every night we'd been too tired to actually cook something or go out and eat so we just ordered pizza and watched movies.

My phone started buzzing in my pocket and I dropped the bag as I answered it.

"Emma, you're never going to believe this!"

"Mary Margaret?"

"Yeah, it's me. I'm using your dad's phone."

"What happened?" I asked.

"Nothing's happened! I just found a house for you!" she exclaimed.

"What? But this is Storybrooke," I replied. "No one ever leaves and there's not exactly a great market for new housing."

"Don't ask me to explain how this happened," Mary Margaret continued excitedly. "But it's the perfect place! You and Killian will love it! Meet me down at the docks in half an hour."

Before I could ask any more questions, she hung up.

"Wake up, lazy bones," I said, throwing a pillow at my husband.

"What is so important that you had to wake me up at 6 in the morning, Swan?" Hook grumbled. "It better involve someone bleeding or the building burning down."

"It's something better," I smirked. "My mom wants to show us a house."

Hook threw the pillow back at me and I caught it.

"You've got ten minutes to get dressed and meet me down in the diner. We need breakfast before we meet Mary Margaret," I said.

I slid into my leather jacket and waved good-bye teasingly as I left. I took up residence in our usual corner booth and Ruby hurried over to take my order.

"I'm going to need my usual breakfast, and can you get Killian some sausage, bacon, and eggs?" I asked. "Oh and don't forget the –"

"Hot chocolate with cinnamon," Ruby finished with a smile. "Got it."

By the time Hook stumbled down into the diner, our food was ready and I passed him a fork.

"Eat up, sunshine," I smiled.

"Good morning to you too," Hook smirked.

He reached over and stole one of my tater tots. I slapped his wrist playfully but that didn't stop him from stealing another one. By the time we'd finished our meal, he had eaten over half of my tater tots. I handed Ruby some money for our breakfast. Hook took my hand as we walked out of the diner. It was a short walk to the docks so we strolled along making it there just in time to meet Mary Margaret. She had Neal in his stroller and actually looked like she was dancing with excitement.

"So where's this house?" I asked.

She pointed down the street. I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped when I saw the house. And I was too busy to notice how Hook reacted. The house was on the waterfront. The deck extended out over the water and there was a lower level where you could tie up a boat if you so wished. There were big, wide windows to let the light in.

"How many bedrooms is it?" I managed to ask.

"Three, but I figured you could use one for an office," Mary Margaret said. "The first level is a living room, kitchen, guest bathroom, and small library. The second level is the three bedrooms. There's also a master bathroom attached to the big bedroom and a smaller bathroom down the hall."

"Can we look inside?" Hook asked.

Mary Margaret grinned and held out the key.

I could hardly believe my eyes as we walked around the house. It was perfect in every single way. And the master bathroom was most amazing of all. It had a huge bathtub that I could already imagine myself soaking in after a long day at work. There were furnishings all around the house so it was easy to imagine what it would look like if we moved in. Hook was actually beaming as he took in all of the amenities and rooms.

"How much is it?" I asked my mother, steeling myself for the worst.

"It's yours."

"No really, Mom," I said. "I don't know if I can afford this."

"It doesn't cost anything," she said firmly.

"How –"

"You were right about there never being any new real estate here," Mary Margaret started explaining. "So Henry, David and I had a talk with Regina and she agreed to help us create the perfect home for you and Killian."

I was literally speechless. Hook squeezed my hand and smiled at Mary Margaret.

"I'm sure once she gets over the initial shock she'll thank you over and over again," he said. "I know I am eternally grateful for this gift."

"So, the furniture?" I stammered.

"Henry helped David and I pick everything out," Mary Margaret said. "And we've already moved your stuff from our apartment to here."

"How did you do that without me noticing anything?" I demanded. "How did you pull off all this without me noticing?"

"You've been more than a little distracted lately, Emma," she laughed. "It wasn't hard."

I decided not to argue that point and instead gazed around at what was apparently my new home. If Hook and I worked together, we could move his stuff out of the room at Granny's today and be completely settled in.

"Henry's staying with Regina tonight to give you two time to settle in," Mary Margaret shared. "I already stocked the refrigerator with some groceries so you can stop ordering pizza every night."

I glanced at Hook guiltily.

"Shall we go get my stuff, Swan?" he grinned.

"I'll leave you two to it then," my mom smiled. "It's time for Neal's breakfast anyway."

I surprised myself by throwing my arms around her and giving her a huge hug. She seemed surprised to. I mean, I wasn't exactly the best at being touchy feely. And I was still getting used to being part of a family after growing up with no one to count on. Mary Margaret squeezed me tighter before letting me go and waving good-bye. Hook turned to me and looked me up and down.

"How are you doing?"

"I don't know. This is a lot to take in," I said honestly.

"You're not upset about it though, are you, love?" he asked.

"Not angry no," I said quickly. "But this will take some getting used to. I can't believe they did this for us."

"I can," Hook replied. "Your family is a special kind of wonderful. You're lucky to be part of it."

I nodded, unable to think of anything to say. Hook took my hand and led me out of the house and back to Granny's. To be honest, he didn't have enough stuff to pack to take even an hour. And soon enough we found ourselves back at the house. It was still early afternoon by the time we had unpacked and rearranged things to our liking. Hook disappeared downstairs to see about something to eat for lunch. I looked around the master bedroom. The bed was huge. And the old fashioned style that had curtains that hung around all four sides and could be drawn closed or pulled aside. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, I then ran and jumped onto the bed. I bounced a couple of times before just flopping in the middle and sighing in pleasure.

"Having fun?"

I sat bolt upright and stared at my husband. He was smirking at me from the doorway.

"Yes," I said, attempting to save face.

I started climbing out of bed but Hook met me halfway and kissed me, running his fingers through my hair.

"What about lunch?" I asked, pulling away.

"Lunch can wait," he smiled. "Sort out your priorities, Swan."


	19. Chapter 19

"Are we really doing this?" I asked for the millionth time.

"Shush, Swan," Hook said. "Of course we're doing this. You promised the lad."

"Are we ready for this though?"

"Mom, chill out. Everything's going to be okay," Henry said as he passed us to take a seat by the boarding desk.

"He's right you know," Mary Margaret said as she too passed us and sat by Henry.

David just smiled as he followed his wife with baby Neal in tow. I turned back to Hook and gave him a nervous smile.

"If anything, I should be the nervous one," Hook said. "I've hardly any experience with the modern world."

I took his hand and we went to join my parents and son. He was right. He usually was. I was overreacting as usual. And he was being the voice of reason. Which wasn't uncommon when it involved me, but it was a little out of character for a pirate.

We settled down to wait for our flight to board. I was tapping my foot nervously the whole time. I'm pretty sure that I got on everyone's nerves for the incessant tapping. Mary Margaret reached over and squeezed my hand.

"Emma, we're going to be fine," she whispered.

I nodded.

As they called our flight number we got up to board the plane. Hook was doing a good job of controlling his astonishment. Henry on the other hand, even though he'd been on a plane at least twice before, was wide-eyed and hyper. Completely out of character for the teenager he was supposed to be.

It had been a nerve-wracking couple of days preparing for this trip and to be honest, I was exhausted. Luckily, Hook was eager to lend his shoulder for my use and I was able to sleep away the entire flight. It was only when we descended into the huge crowd at LAX when Hook started to get a little overwhelmed.

"You all right?" I asked, taking his arm.

He nodded and smiled at me.

"We're going to head straight for the hotel so we won't be in this crowd for long," I promised.

David led the way to the baggage claim so we could find our luggage and get going. I was surprised at how well he and Mary Margaret were doing with all of this, as I was pretty sure that neither of them had been far away from Storybrooke before. They had been in the modern world for quite a bit longer than Hook though, so maybe that was the answer.

"I ordered a car to be waiting when we arrived," David said, gesturing to the doors.

I checked once again to make sure that Henry was still with us. I was not cut out for this whole responsible, being a mom thing.

I helped my dad load the bags into the back of our rented SUV while Mary Margaret settled Neal into his car seat and ushered Henry into the backseat as well. Hook took one last long look around the airport before sliding in next to Henry. David shut the back of the car and climbed into the driver's seat. Mary Margaret offered me the front seat but I shook my head and climbed in the back.

"Do you even know where you're going?" I asked David with a laugh.

"GPS," he said with a smile.

To his credit, he managed to get us to the hotel with minimal U-turns. It was a rather nice hotel and I found myself wondering how we were affording all of this. I had contributed a lot of my savings to the adventure but even that would barely cover the cost of Disneyland tickets for all of us. I hadn't saved up a whole lot over the years.

"We reserved two rooms," Mary Margaret said as she unbuckled Neal. "David and I will take one and you and Killian can have the other."

"What about me?" Henry demanded.

"You can decide," Mary Margaret smiled.

"Hey kid, come help unload the bags," I said.

Hook beat him to it and took the suitcases from my hands.

"I'll check in and get room keys," David said, striding off into the lobby.

He was back in a few minutes, just as we finished unloading the car. We were assigned first floor rooms which I was thankful for because it required no walking up or down stairs. Mary Margaret and David took the room on the left and Hook and I took the room on the left.

I had barely thrown my bags on the bed before I was ready for a nap. That's what coast to coast travel did for you. Henry followed Hook in as he carried in the last of the bags and flopped onto the second bed with a heavy sigh.

"Can we have dinner?" he asked. "I'm really craving pizza."

"Not now, kid," I said with a laugh. "I'm tired. Go ask your grandparents if you really can't wait."

"Fine," he huffed.

I watched out of the corner of my eye as he left the room and walked next door to bother David and Mary Margaret. Hook was watching me as I fell back onto the bed and closed my eyes.

"You doing all right there, love?" he asked. "You look a bit more tired out than I feel."

"I'm just not used to this whole family thing," I sighed. "I mean, I don't know how to be a mother or how to have parents or how to have a husband."

"Does anyone know how when they first start out?" Hook asked frankly.

"Well you all have done it before. You have experience."

"How so, Swan?"

"You had Milah. Henry had Regina. David and Mary Margaret have each other and Neal. And they both had families in the Enchanted Forest," I defended.

"Emma, that doesn't make us any more qualified than you," Hook said with a wink. "And ignore the fact that I and your parents have lived a whole heck of a lot longer than you."

"Now you're just making fun of me," I said.

I was more amused than I was angry.

"Regina was by no means ready to be a mother when she adopted Henry," Hook said, changing his tone a little bit. "And her mother was the worst role model in the history of mothers."

"That's a slight exaggeration." I smirked.

"Get some rest," he said, kissing my forehead. "I'll keep an eye on Henry and make sure he doesn't starve to death."

"My parents would never let that happen," I mumbled.

But I obediently closed my eyes and fell almost immediately to sleep.


End file.
